Scaffold



Nov. 10,1953

c. F. LONG ETAL 2,658,803

SCAFFOLD Filed April 15, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0w! Illozg and Hwrwyi'.Abek ATTORNEYS Nov. 10, 1953 c. F. LONG ET AL 2,658,803

SCAFFOLD Filed April 13, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 26A m INVENTORS 3 27r,""' Charla; Eloy ma 3 M Emmy B45658 F A BY m mgow ATTORNEYS PatentedNov. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES e-ATENT ()FFICE Charles F. :Lo'ngand HarveyE..A=b'eis, Washington, D. G, i

Application April1'3, 1950,, 'Serial No. 155,718

This invention relates to scaffolding, and more particularly to aportable scaffold adapted to be readily shifted by a single unskilledlaborer from place to place with complete security in operation, therebyeliminating the necessity for skilled riggers or carpenters.

In connection with modern construction practices and building business,it is customary to construct concrete buildings in the form of asuccession of concrete floors spaced and positioned 3 that work it isnecessary to have scaffolding se- Y curely positioned exteriorly of thebuilding in alignment with such openings or spaces. Various expedientshave been resortedto, but the most commonpractice is to utilizescaffolds depending from upper floors or scaffolding erected from theground, and in either "case skilled mechanics areessenti'al and the costof the scaffolding is high.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved andsimplified scaffold unit which, in conjunction with other similar units,can be successively positioned as the work progresses along the face ofa buildingby the utilization of movable floor boards and railings sothat as the work progresses one unit can be removed as the work adjacentthereto is finished and.

shifted to a position in advance, thus permitting the work to continuesuccessively the full length of a building on a floor, and onlyunskilled labor *is necessary for such shifting'of thescaffold units andextension of the scaifolding progressively jthroughout the length of thebuilding.

Other objects will more particularly appear in the course of thefollowing detailed 'descrip-. tion.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement andcombinations of parts "hereinafter more; particularly" described andclaimed. 1 I

'Two sheets of drawings accompany this specification as part thereof, inwhich like reference characters indicate like parts throughout.

In the drawings: 7 #1 Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a"portion of a build-ing showing the window-open 2 Claims. (01.Silt-I243) ing space and two units of the improved scaffoldiingposition;

Figure 2 is a transverse cross section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal cross section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary rear view partially broken away of the upperend of the improved scaffold unit;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of the standard used inthe improved unit; and

Figure 6 is a transverse cross section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference character Findicates a portion of a concrete floor structure, while the referencecharacter A indicates a depending apron integrally cast with the floor Fand constituting a spandrel beam. This type of structure is commonlyutilized in the modern construction of office, apartment and other largebuildings. In connection with such buildings the floors F are supportedby spaced piers (not shown), but these piers are spaced relatively farapart so as to define with the spandrel beams relatively large openingsin which are subsequently positioned wall structure and a plurality ofwindow frames, and it is also customary to overlay or veneer the outerface of the suitably waterproofed spandrel beams with marble or otherornamental material, to present an attractive face to the build- .mg l

The present invention relates to a readily portable scaffold unit whichcan be selectively positioned within the opening described at successivepositions throughout the width of the building, adapted to supportscaffold boards I9 which can be shifted as the work progresses, from oneend of the building to the other, it being contemplated that a pluralityof such scaffold units will be utilized andthat as the work progressesfrom one side of the building to the other, the

rearmost unit will be withdrawn and moved ahead so that the scalfold canbe progressively extended from one side of the building to the other, asdesired.

' the workers employed thereon,this movable scaffold unit is constructedof two spaced standards lherein illustrated as being secured in fixedparallel relationship, as by a plurality of rung members 2, and bracedto assure their parallelism as by brace members 3. The upper ends of the.position.

projecting arm unit, as, illustrated in Figure 1.

end of the joists it are'rigidly secured rail posts 3 vertical standardsI are bridged by a header 4, herein illustrated as of channel crosssection, and

. this header is slotted adjacent each of its ends 7 to permit thepassage of a plate or strap 5, the

lower end of which abuts against the rear face of the standard I and issecured in rigid position' by means of a bolt 6 which also secures theheader 4 to each of the standards I.

At the bottom of each of the standards I is positioned a journal 2! fora ground contacting 7 wheel 22 and these journals 2I are so positionedon the standards I that when the standard is in its'operative verticalposition the wheels 22 will be out of contact with the floor F, but thatby tilting the entire scaffold unit rearwardly, as illustrated in dottedlines in Figure 2, the ground contacting wheels 22 will be brought incontact with thefloor F interiorly of the building, thus permitting anunskilled laborer to wheel the unit" backwardly and shift it along thefloor to its new To the bottom end of each of the standards I is alsosecured a forwardly projecting: arm 7,

herein illustrated as of channel cross section, the forward end of thisarm being formed with a plurality of transversely aligned holes 8 in itsilangesthrough which a pin or bolt 2; can be inserted in parallelrelationship to the standard I, this pin 9 being adapted to engage theouter face 7 of the floor F or the apron A to resist effectively anyinward thrust against the lower end of the standard I., It will beunderstood that each of the standards is provided with such a forwardlyThe two standards support intermediate their ends forwardly projectingjoists It which joists ,are herein illustrated as rigidly secured inperpendicular relationship to the standards I as (by diagonal braces IIand angle'plates SI. The joists it are further secured by a permanentplatform 58 extending from joist to joist and upon which can be laidscaffold boards l9 adapted to extend from scaffold unit to scafiold Atthe outer l'il'which are suitably braced as by diagonals 53,

land adjacent the upper end of each rail post are secured on its innerand outer faces rail plates I l-4 3 which extend above the end of thepost 'i 2, providing a seat within which rail members 29 can bepositioned, such rail members 253 i also extending from scaffold unit toscafiold unit.

Eye-bolts it are preferably associated with'the standard I and the railpost I2 in parallel relav.tionship to the platform I8, and a chain orsimilar guard it can, if desired, be hung between such eye-bolts.

Each of these units can also spaced: beams 33 resting'on' the joistsIt,i3 adjacent the rail -posts,,which beams arespanned be provided withber I and the extension members and 26, so that these extension memberscan be adjusted to vary the length of the elfective standard and theposition of the platform as desired. In this construction the forwardlyprojecting arms I are secured to the bottom extension members 25, whilethe extension straps or cleats 5' are se-K cured to the upper extensionmembers 26. The platform and bracing members will be secured, as in thepreviously described form,'to the central main portions I of thestandards.

To prevent any lateral tilting of the scaffold unit which could neveramount to much, butwhich might give a sense of insecurity, nuts 29 canbe welded within the header member 4 in association with orifices in theweb in said header member to permit the operation of bolts 30, onepositioned adjacent each of the vertical standards I-i, and bytightening of these bolts against the under face of the apron A, anypossible slight movement of the scaffold unit is Y effectivelyprevented. The device is entirely love bridge member an supporting ablock and" a fall 32 by means of which supplies can be ready ilyraisedor'lowered, thus permitting use of each unit as a portable outrig forhoisting. v

To permit the use of the same scaffolding units with a plurality ofdifferent buildings of varying room heights, the modified formillustrated in Figures 5 and 6 for the standards may be convenientlyemployedi In this form the 7 standard I is formed of tubular'crosssection with tubular members 25 and 25. These tubular members "I, 25 and25'are telescoped and ad- 7 'justa bly. positioned with respect to eachother, as by means of bolts 28 extending through comlplementary holes 21passing through the memstable and secure without the use of suchtightening bolts, and their use is optional.

an unskilled laborer in the position illustrated in dotted lines inFigureZ to the position illustrated .in that figure, and thereaftertilted into vertical position, thus bringing the upwardly projectingstraps 5 into contact with the inner face of the apron A associated withthe floor above. Conversely, the scaffold unit is removed by tilting theunit rearwardly as indicated by, the arrows in Figure 2, thus bringingthe ground contacting wheels 22 into engagement with the floor, therebypermitting the withdrawal of theunit and its removal to a positionfurther down the building.

Variations in the structural details of the unit will readily suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art, but within the scope of thepresent I invention as claimed.

secure a pin' parallel with but spaced forwardly :of the adjacentstandard, a header of'channel cross-section-connecting the upper ends ofthe standards, said header being formed with slots adjacent the rearface of each standard, plates secured to'the rear facejof each standardand projecting through the slots in the header above and parallel witheach standard; arms rigidly secured to each standard intermediateits'ends and projecting forwardly thereof, a platform mounted i V onsaid arms, rail posts securedto the outer ends of said arms, rail cleatssecured to'the outer and inner faces of each rail post to form a seatfor removable rail'sections and locking bolts screwable through saidheader adjacent each of the standards adapted to exert upward pressureagainst overlying building structure to stabilize" the scaffold againstlateraltilting; a

2. Scaffold comprising spaced 'parallel'stand- .ards, ground contactingwheels supported in bearings adjacent the lower ends of said stand- In'operation, a scaffolding unit'is rolled by ards at the rear sidesthereof, so positioned that said wheels make ground contact only whensaid standards are inclined at an angle to the vertical in the directionof said wheels, arms of channel cross-section rigidly secured one to thelower end of each standard and'projecting forwardly perpendicularlythereto, arranged with their flanges extending laterally, each of saidarms being provided with registering holes through both flanges axiallyparallel to said standards, pins through said holes projecting belowsaid arms, a header of channel cross-section connecting the upper endsof said standards having its flanges embracing the opposite sides ofsaid standards, with the rear flange slightly spaced from the adjacentside, a slot in the web of said header back of each standard openinginto the space between the rearward flange and said adjacent side,plates extending through said slots into said space and projecting abovesaid header, a bolt through the flanges of said header, each plate, andthe embraced end of each standard, for securing said 6 plates, armsrigidly secured to each standard intermediate its ends projectingperpendicular thereto, forwardly thereof, and a platform mounted on saidarms.

CHARLES F. LONG. HARVEY E. ABELS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 337,225 Anderson Mar. 2, 1886 786,054 Roy Mar. 28, 1905980,532 Johnson Jan. 3, 1911 989,466 Wright Apr. 11, 1911 1,086,348Bolognesi Feb. 10, 1914 1,707,894 Bergesen Apr. 2, 1929 2,392,584Falkenstein Jan. 8, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,935 GreatBritain 1881 278,749 Italy Oct. 18, 1930

